Conventional motorcycles and motor tricycles have transmissions that include a plurality of forward ratio gears, typically four or five, and a reverse gear capability is generally not included in such transmissions. A foot responsive gear shifter is conventionally used for sequentially engaging the forward gears. A reverse capability is of particular convenience for motorcycles with a sidecar and for motor tricycles, where it is difficult to back up the vehicle with the operator's feet applying traction to the road surface or otherwise physically moving the cycle backwardly. Normally, in such vehicles not having a reverse gear capability, the operator may shift the transmission gears into neutral and reverse the starter motor to backwardly move the cycle. Previous attempts to incorporate a reverse gear capability in a motorcycle transmission have not met with popular success. A conventional motorcycle forward gear transmission generally employs two parallel shafts (specifically a mainshaft and a countershaft) carrying the forward ratio gears, and in the past a reverse capability had been provided by adding a third or reverse shaft carrying a reverse gear arrangement and employed a hand shifter operating in a gate to engage both the forward ratio gears and the reverse gear. Such prior art reverse gear transmissions did not preclude inadvertent shifting into a forward gear when in reverse and the inadvertent shifting into reverse when in a forward gear.